(Please follow the link for the complete blog update -- a discussion of "This Mortal Coil". There are SGA photos at the site.)

Saturday, December 8, 2007

Brad Wright came in with a notion: We follow our team on a seemingly typical day on Atlantis except things are not quite right. Ultimately, our heroes discover that they are not on the real Atlantis - and that they're not even our heroes. They're replicators who, over the course of the story, uncover the mystery of their creation and ultimately turn on their creators (Oberoth and co.), sacrificing themselves in the process.

We started spinning. While we loved the idea of the repli-heroes sacrificing themselves on a duplicate Atlantis, the fact that the story wouldn't influence the real Atlantis in any way was problematic. Besides, Paul argued, the fun of doing duplicates is in having them meet themselves. So we decided that the mystery and discovery of their true identities should only be half the story. The other hand needed to involve the real team. Then, we had to decide why the Asurans had created these duplicates. The notion that Oberoth had created them as a means of studying their behavior in order to use this information against them just felt like a door in that wouldn't have anything to do with the ensuing story. But what if…we had already hinted that some of the human-form replicators had always aspired to be much more than mere duplicates (remember Fifth? Reese?). They paradoxically desired and resented what the descendants of their creators (the Ancients) possessed: humanity, the ability to ascend. It made more sense to assume that this is what they were after. Yet it would stand to reason that not all of the Asurans would seek to become "almost human". The majority, like Oberoth, would wish to destroy any threat to their unique nature. We created a schism within the ranks of the replicators (Could it be argued that Weir's humanity, once integrated into the collective, may have exercised an almost virus-like influence, giving rise to this more human, sympathetic faction? Perhaps.) and, so decided, started breaking the story.

To those who say "Hey, this is too much like this episode!" or "This is too much like that episode!" my counter would be "Name me an episode of science fiction that isn't in some way like something that has come before.". Alternate worlds, time travel, duplicates - they're all standard science fiction jumping off points. It's how they are used, what makes them unique within the body of a given story thatreally matters. I think back to Window of Opportunity. When we first pitched out the story, it was very dark and very different from the finished episode. Robert Cooper gave us notes and steered us in another, lighter direction. "This is just like Ground Hog day,"I realized, expecting that would kill the idea. "Exactly,"was Rob'ssurprising response. So we did the Stargate SG-1 version of Groundhog Day - and it became a fan favorite! Why? Because people who watched it were less hung up on the similarities of what had come before, and more intereseted in what made this particular situation unique to OUR characters. So, yes, duplicates had been done before in scifi. The challenge was to discover that made this story personal to Atlantis…

Let's break it down -

**(Please follow the link for the complete blog update.)**

THE TEASE

Trying to get the gate up and running/An unidentified object hit's the city: This opening scene was very different in the first draft. Originally, it went something like this -

**(Please follow the link for the complete blog update.)**

ACT ONE

Discover the drone: In the original version, the drone doesn't hit the city. Short range sensors track its descent into waters close to the city, giving rise to this exchange -

**(Please follow the link for the complete blog update.)**

ACT TWO

The replicators explain what's going on: If I was to point the finger at the one sequence that made me seriously reconsider my writing career, it was this one...

**(Please follow the link for the complete blog update.)**

ACT THREE

In the cell, the team comes to term with reality: I mentioned we were short and we needed some extra scenes....

**(Please follow the link for the complete blog update.)**

ACT FOUR

**(Please follow the link for the complete blog update.)**

If we had wanted to see Carter in this episode, this would have been the place...

**(Please follow the link for the complete blog update.)**

ACT FIVE

On the run: Did you record the episode or buy it off I-tunes? If so, play the Sheppard-Dupli-Weir run from the explosions in slo-mo. See that look of utter terror on Joe Flanigan's face? Terrific acting you say? Well, I heard that on the day, those explosions were a little too close for comfort according to Joe. On the bright side, I don't think I've ever seen Joe run so fast...

**(Please follow the link for the complete blog update.)**

So, there you have it. I apologize for all of the spelling and grammatical errors (and long, meandering sentences that on second and third reading don't make any sense) that you'll no doubt find in the write-up but I've been at it for the past five hours straight and am not in a proof-reading mood. And I don't have the strength for a mailbag today. But, as always, all of your comments are muchappreciated (and read). P.S. Check my May 23, 2007 entry for more behind-the-scenes pics.

Stargate Atlantis' Joe Flanigan (Lt. Col. John Sheppard) is guest-starring on ABC's "Women's Murder Club" for a multi-episode story arc. Joe is portraying FBI Agent John Ash, who is in San Francisco tracking down the 'kiss me not' killer.

In the episode that aired Friday, December 7 -- 'To Drag and Hold' (episode #9) -- Joe appeared in the final minute of the episode, introducing himself to Police Inspector Lindsey Boxer (Angie Harmon) -- on the front porch of her home. Apparently Insp. Boxer is next intended victim.

The next episode that Joe Flanigan is to appear in won't air until 2008 (the episodes have been filmed, they're broadcast delayed for the holidays), "The FBI Guy."